Hypodermic needle cleaning and drying apparatus



Feb. 10,1959 w. LAMPKS' ETAL 2,872,931

HYPODERMIC NEEDLE CLEANING AND DRYING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 23, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I HHHHH mlllllm I I l 4-? H I.

' William Lamps Joseph L. Terranov Feb'.-l0, 1959 w. LAMPS ETAL 2,872,931

HYPODERMIC- NEEDLE CLEANING AND DRYING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 25. 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 10, 1959 w. LAMPS ETAL 2,872,931

' HYPODERMIC NEEDLE CLEANING AND DRYING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 25, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet s .m I; 40 49 in 4 9 39 "u I I] I mn [Miami mlliam lamp-s Jaseph L .Trranova.

United States Patent HYPGDERMIC NEEDLE CLEANING AND DRYING APPARATUS William Lamps and Joseph L. Terranova, Rockford, lll., said Terranova assignor to said Lamps Application November 23, 1953, Serial No. 393,752

28 Claims. (Cl. 134--99) This invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning and drying hypodermic needles and the like, a plurality at a time.

Due to the exacting needs in hospitals for the thorough cleaning and drying of such needles before sterilization, it is important that an apparatus of this kind have the controls arranged in such a way that there is no danger of any step in the operation being overlooked, and yet the apparatus must not be too complicated and expensive, and it must be simple to operate inasmuch as the ones assigned to such tasks in a hospital are usually not me chanically inclined. It is, therefore, the principal object of our invention to provide an apparatus of the kind mentioned, designed to fulfill the requirements specified and having the controls arranged for operation in a definite 1-2-3-4 order to insure first the mechanical clearing of the passages in the needles with air under pressure, then a thorough Washing out with one or more solvents, then a thorough rinsing with distilled water, and finally a thorough clearing out and drying of the passages with air under pressure again, after which the needles can be put in a sterilizer and will thereafter be ready for safe use again.

An important feature of the present apparatus is the provision on a manifold of couplings or adapters projecting therefrom onto which the heads of the needles are applied, after a preliminary cleaning of their interiors with a motor-driven brush and a scrubbing of the exteriors of the shanks and heads, thereby insuring positively that every needle is subjected to the same pressure and there will be no likelihood of leakage interfering with the positiveness of the operation. Difierences in length and thickness of the needles as well as differences in the styles and outside dimensions of the heads of needles are accommodated by these adapters, inasmuch as all manu facturers of hypodermic needles have at least standardized in so far as the interchangeable application of the heads to different syringes is concerned, and the adapters used in the present apparatus correspond to the adapters provided on the syringes. Much time and labor are saved because a group of needles is processed at one time by application of all of them to the same manifold, and this also reduces to a minimum the likelihood of any given needle escaping one of the necessary steps in the cleaning and drying operation.

Another important feature of the apparatus of the present invention is its safety of operation and its complete foolproofness. Thus, there is no danger of an operator causing any of the glass jars containing solvents and rinse water to be exploded by an inadvertent buildup of pressure in one of them due to wrong manipulation of an air control, the present apparatus having a preset reducing valve that is purposely placed where it cannot be too easily tampered with, so as to insure having air delivered at a fairly constant and safe pressure. Also, check valves are provided in each line at the manifold where the needles are processed so that there is no chance for backflow in any line, and consequently no likelihood of ice 2 mixing one solvent with another, or diluting a solvent with distilled water and spoiling its effectiveness, or contaminating the distilled water with solvent and spoiling its usefulness as a rinsing agent.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a front view of an apparatus made in accord ance with our invention, an intermediate portion of the length of the same being broken away to conserve space and permit showing the'parts on a larger scale;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1, ,with a different portion of the length broken away in order to permit showing the supports for the several jars and the pipes leading thereto and therefrom;

Fig. 3 is an end View of Fig. 1 with a portion of the end wall broken away;

Figs. 4 to 6 are full size views of three different sizes and styles of hypodermic needles showing different heads, all of which nevertheless are applicable interchangeably to the adapters projecting from the manifold of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 3;

Fig. 7 is a view corresponding to a portion of Fig. 2, but showing another style of hypodermic syringe with a tapered nipple on the end and indicating how this is adapted to be wedged in the tapered bore of the adapter when this style of hypodermic syringe is to have the plunger thereof freed in the same manner as illustrated with the other style of syringe shown in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an apparatus like that of Figs. 1 and 2 but omitting the left hand end portion for operating on the barrels of syringes.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring to the drawings, attention is called in Fig. 1 first of all to a conventional hypodermic syringe designated by the reference numeral 8, the same consisting of a glass barrel or cylinder 9 in the bore of which the glass plunger 10 has a close working fit. The metal socket 11 provided on the outer end of the barrel 9 is designed to receive a head 12 of a needle 13 and be coupled thereto with an air-tight and liquid-tight fit when one of the inter fitting parts is given a quarter-turn relative to the other. It is not deemed necessary to go into the specific details of these connections inasmuch as they are well known and no invention is claimed therein excepting only to the extent that in accordance with our invention adapters in the form of metal sockets 11, like those provided on the syringes 8, are provided in the form of extensions on a manifold 14 for application of the heads 12 of a plurality of needles 13 thereto for cleaning and drying of a plurality of needles at one time, and one or more adapters each in the form of ahead 12 are provided on another manifold 15 for application thereto of the socket end 11 ofqone or more hypodermic syringes 8 for the freeing of the plunger 10, all as more fully described hereinafter. Where the syringe is of the type illustrated at 8 in Fig. 7, in which the glass barrel 9 has an integral reduced tapered tubular nipple end 16, the same head 12 can be used as the adapter on the manifold 15, because these heads 12 are like the heads provided on needles 13 and the nipples 16 are made to fit in the taperedbores 17 in these heads with a wedging fit.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 to 3, the reference numeral 18 designtes a manifold with which the air pressure line 19 communicates through a coupling 2%) and adjustable reducing valve 21 andv pipe 22, as indicated at 23. The manifold 18 is elongated and disposed vertically in the hollow leg 24 on one end of the frame 25 of the cleaning and drying apparatus and has branching off the rear thereof four pipes 26, 27, 28 and 29, and air under the pressure indicated by a gauge 30 connected to the reducing valve 21 and visible to the operator standing in front of the apparatus may be delivered selectively to either one of the four pipes by depression of the appropriate one of the buttons 26, 27', 28' and 29'. The latter are provided on the ends of the stems of springclosed poppet valves 26a, 27a, 28a and 29a which communicate with the pipes 2629, respectively, and are placed in communication with the common air chamber in manifold 18 by depression of the buttons 2629'. Now, the pipe 26 is connected to the manifold 14 directly, as indicated in Fig. 2, through a check valve C and consequently when button 26' is depressed, air under the predetermined pressure indicated on gauge 30 is discharged alike through all of the adapters 11 and the needles 13 applied thereto. It is common to provide a dozen adapters 11 on the manifold 14, and in that way a dozen needles can be processed at a time. While the button 26' is depressed, the operator can, by moving a finger from below one needle to the next, and so on, quickly ascertain whether any of them remains clogged, and then, if continued application of the air pressure does no good, that needle can be removed for special handling, as by soaking in a solvent and boiling, if necessary. Usually however, continued application of pressure for a little longer will sufiice .to clear all of the passages mechanically.

The next button 27' is then depressed for the first washing out of the needles with a solvent, and, inasmuch as the pipe 27 leads to a head 31 suitably secured to the top wall 32 of the frame 25 of the apparatus, a liquid solvent such as ether or alcohol is delivered to manifold 14 under pressure from the jar 33. The neck of the jar is threaded into a socket 34 in the head 31, and the pipe 27 has communication with the socket 34 and jar 33 through a passage 35 provided in the head. A tube 36 extends downwardly from the head 31 nearly to the bottom of the jar 33 so that the liquid 37 in the jar will be expelled under pressure through a pipe 38 and another check valve C to the manifold 14 and thence, through the adapters 11 and needles 13 applied thereto, whereby to dissolve and flush out whatever foreign matter may be left adhering to the walls of the passages in the needles. The button 27 is kept depressed long enough to be sure that a good cleaning job has been done on all of the needles. The solvent is caught in a pan 39 which extends lengthwise of the frame 25 and rests on ledges 40 provided on the top of the legs 24 on the opposite ends thereof.

After the cleaning operation, using the first solvent 37, the needles 13 are generally subjected to a further cleaning operation, using another solvent supplied under pressure to the manifold 14 from another jar 41 attached like jar 33 to the bottom of a head 42 mounted like the head 31 on the top 32 of the frame and having a tube like the tube 36 extending downwardly therefrom to a point near the bottom of the jar 41, so that when the liquid in the jar is subjected to air pressure through pipe 28, the liquid is expelled under pressure through pipe 43 and check valve C to the manifold 14, and is accordingly passed through the needles 13, and caught in the pan 39. Any number of containers, like the jars 33 and 41, may be provided, filled with the selected solvents and controlled by valves like those shown at 26a and 27a, but two jars of solvent are considered suflicient, with a third jar 44 containing distilled water used in rinsing.

In the rinsing" operation, the button 29, which controls delivery of air under pressure to pipe 29, is depressed, thereby delivering air under pressure to the head 45, on which the jar 44 is supported in the same way as jars 33 and 41, there being an outlet tube 36 extending downwardly from the head 45 into the jar 44 to a point near the bottom thereof so that when the distilled water in the jar is subjected to air pressure the water is expelled under pressure through pipe 46 and check valve C to manifold 14 and is accordingly passed through the needles 13 to rinse out the solvent and prepare the needles for the drying operation. The rinse water is, of course, also caught in the pan 39, andthis pan has sufficient capacity so that it need not be emptied until after all of the needles that may have been collected for a day or two in the hospital have been processed.

In the drying operation, the operator depresses the same button 26 that he depressed at the outset, the compressed air delivered through pipe 26 serving not only to clear out and dry the passages in the needles 13 but also the single all-purpose duct or passage in the manifold 14 at the same time.

The jars 33, 41 and 44 are disposed behind a shield 47 which is suspended on a hinge pin 48 from the top of the frame 25. This plate may be swung forwardly and upwardly, as indicated by the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3, to afford accesss to the jars so that they may be removed for occasional washing and refilling. The pan 39 serves by engagement with the lower end of the plate 47 to hold it in engagement with the front face 49 of the frame, thereby protecting the jars against any splashing from the pan and also protecting the operator in the event one of the jars should be broken due to a hidden defect or due to higher than normal air pressure being applied as a result of someone having tampered with the pressure adjustment on the reducing valve 21, despite the precautions previously mentioned.

In operation, the needles 13 to be cleaned and dried are first thoroughly cleaned externally, and the heads 12 are cleaned internally and externally, using an air or electric motor-driven brush which may be provided as a separate device or as an assembled part of the present apparatus. Then the needles are all applied to the adapters 11, and the operations previously described are performed in 1, 2, 3, 4 order by depression of the buttons in the order: 26, 27, 28', 29' and 26', so that, first, air under pressure is delivered for the mechanical clearing out of the passages of any foreign agent or substance; after which solvent No. 1 from jar 33 is passed through the needles for a first cleaning operation; followed by a second cleaning operation using solvent No. 2 from jar 41, and then the needles 13 and the manifold 14 are thoroughly rinsed out with distilled water under pressure, and finally the needles 13 and manifold 14 are cleared of water and dried by passage of compressed air therethrough. The needles can then be placed in a sterilizer and are thereafter ready for safe use again. The arrangement of the buttons 2629' in a vertical row on the inner side of the right leg 24 of the frame 25 where they may be depressed one at a time by the thumb while the fingers engage the outer side of the leg 24, as shown in Fig. 8, eliminates fatigue and eliminates also any likelihood of confusion, because the operator soon gets accustomed to starting with the top button and ending with the top button, depressing all four buttons in the order 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, counting from the top down in the operation of buttons 26'-29. The check valves C -C perform a highly important function in avoiding any possible 'backflow in either of the four lines 26, 38, 43 and 46 leading to manifold 14, as previously fully described, all of these check valves being of a spring-closed type and seating outwardly away from manifold 14, as shown in Fig. 2.

To free plungers 10 when they become lodged in the bores of the cylinders of syringes 8 or 8', a second manitold 15 is provided having a separate compressed air supply line 19 communicating therewith through a reducing valve 21 and pipe 49. One or more adapters 12 may be provided, but usually only one is necessary. The adapter 12 will fit in the socket 11 on syringes 8 and will receive the nipple end 16 of syringes 8, as previously indicated. The adjustment knob 50 on the reducing valve 21' may be set for a low pressure to start with and the pressure may be increased as required, care being taken in any case not to exceed an indicated safe pressure on dial D. A stop 51 which may be adjusted easily vertically by sliding the stem 52 in the friction bearing 53 by manipulationof the knob 54 provided on the lower end of the stem is set in such spaced relation to thesyringe that the plunger cannot come all the way out before striking the rubber bumper pad 55 provided on the top of the stop. In that Way, there is no danger of the plunger being ejected forcibly and being broken. When syringes 8 are being operated upon it is advisable to set the stop 51 close enough to the projecting end of the plunger 10 to prevent the nipple end 16 of the syringe from becoming uncoupled from the adapter 12, because there would then be likelihood of the syringe being thrown to the floor and being broken. For protection of the operator, in the event a syringe is defective and the barrel thereof bursts under otherwise safe air pressure, or because the operator failed to observe the usual caution of not exceeding a prescribed air pressure limit indicated on dial D, we prefer to provide a guard 56 surrounding the syringe during the application of air pressure thereto. This guard is preferably made of two tubular pieces 57 and 58 of transparent plastic material which telescope as indicated, piece 57 being carried on manifold 15, and piece 58 being carried on stop 51. When stop 51 is fully retracted, tube 58 is lowered enough to allow a syringe to be attached to adapter 12, and then the stop is raised to a correct spaced distance from the end of the syringe. Because the syringe is clearly visible to the operator through the guard 56, it is possible to see when the plunger is freed and strikes the bumper pad 55, so that the air can be turned off again and the syringe removed. The tube 58 preferably has a friction fit on the stop 51, so that the operator need not lower the stop in order to remove one syringe and insert another but can slip the tube 58 down out of the way and raise it again after another syringe has been applied to the adapter 12. That avoids the necessity for changing the adjustment of the stop 51 if a number of syringes of the same size are being serviced at one time.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of our invention. The appended claims have been drawn to cover all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for cleaning tubular articles such as hypodermic syringe needles and the like comprising, in combination, a manifold having a single all-purpose duct therein and having a plurality of outlet or discharge adapters extending therefrom constructed for detachable fluid and air tight coupling connection with the ends of said tubular articles, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections each of which includes an outwardly seating check valve, air tight containers for cleaning and rinsing fluids each having a fluid discharge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and connected with related ones of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, said manifold also having an air inlet pipe extending from one of its inlet connections, a source of compressed air, and a series of manually operable valves all connected on the one side with said source and each connected on the other side with a related one .of said air inlet pipes, whereby compressed air or a selected fluid under pressure may be discharged through the arti cles attached to the manifold, said check valves preventing back flow in any of the other of said inlet connections when fluid or air is supplied to said manifold through a selected one of said inlet connections past the check valve therein.

2. An apparatus for cleaning hypodermic syringe needles of the kind having an enlarged headed end universally detachably connectible with a liquid tight and air tight fit in a socket on the end of the barrel of a hypodermic syringe, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a manifold having a single all-purpose duct therein and having a plurality of socket adapters thereon each like the aforesaid socket on a hypodermic syringe, whereby diiferent styles and dimensions of hypodermic needles are detachably connectible therein with a fluid and air tight connection for cleaning by passage of fluid and air therethrough, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections each of which includes an outwardly seating check valve, air tight containers for cleaning and rinsing fluids each having a fluid discharge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and connected with related ones of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, said manifold also having an air inlet pipe extending from one of its inlet connections, a source of compressed air, and a series of manually operable valves all connected on the one side with said source and each connected on the other side with a related one of said air inlet pipes, whereby compressed air or a selected fluid under pressure may be discharged through the needles attached to the manifold, said check valves preventing back flow in any of the other of said inlet connections when fluid or air is supplied to said manifold through a selected one of said inlet connections past the check valve therein.

3. An apparatus for cleaning tubular articles such as hypodermic syringe needles and the like comprising, in combination, a frame, an elongated horizontal manifold carried on the upper portion of said frame having a single all-purpose duct therein and having projecting downwardly therefrom a row of outlet or discharge adapters constructed for detachable fluid and air tight coupling connection with the ends of said tubular articles, an elongated receptacle supported horizontally on said frame below the row of adapters, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections each of which includes an outwardly seating check valve, air tight containers for cleaning and rinsing fluids each having a fluid discharge pipe communicating withthe bottom portion thereof and connected with related ones of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, said mainfold flso having an air inlet pipe extending from one of its inlet connections, a source of compressed air, and a plurality of manually operable valves all connected on one side with said source and each connected on the other side with a related one of said air inlet pipes, whereby compressed air and then one or more cleaning fluids and a rinsing fluid under pressure and then compressed air may be discharged through the articles attached to the manifold, said check valves preventing back flow in any of the other of said inlet con nections when fluid or air is supplied to said manifold through a selected one of said inlet connections past the check valve therein.

4. An apparatus for cleaning hypodermic syringe needles of the kind having an enlarged headed end universally detachably connectible with a liquid tight and air tight fit in a socket on the end of the barrel of a hypodermic syringe, said apparatus comprising, in. combination, a frame, an elongated horizontal manifold carried on the upper portion of said frame having a single allpurpose duct therein and having projecting downwardly therefrom a row of socket adapters thereon each like the aforesaid socket on a hypodermic syringe, whereby different styles and dimensions of hypodermic needles are detachably connectible therein with a fluid and air tight connection for cleaning by passage of fluid and air therethrough, an elongated receptacle supported horizontally on said frame below the row of adapters, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections each of which includes an outwardly seating check valve, air tight containers for cleaning and rinsing fluids each having a fluid discharge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and connected with related ones of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet 7 t pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, said manifold also having an air inlet pipe extending from one of its inlet connections, a source of compressed air, and a plurality of manually operable valves all connected on one side with said source and each' connected on the other side with a related one of said air inlet pipes, whereby compressed .air and then one or more cleaning fluids and a rinsing fluid under pressure and then compressed air may be discharged through the needles attached to the manifold, said check valves preventing back flow in any of the other of said inlet connections when fluid or air is supplied to said manifold through a selected one of said inlet connections past the check valve therein.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said valves are of a type each having a spring returned plunger operable by the thumb of the operator, and wherein said frame has an elongated portion carrying said valves with the plungers all accessible on one side frame portion so that the other side of said frame portion serves as a support for the fingers of the operators hand while the thumb is depressing any one of said plungers.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said valves are of a type each having a spring returned plunger operable by the thumb of the operator, and wherein said frame has an elongated portion carrying said valves with the plungers all accessible on one side of said frame portion so that the other side of said frame portion serves as a support for the fingers of the operators hand while the thumb is depressing any one of said plungers.

7. An apparatus for cleaning tubular articles such as hypodermic syringe needles and the like comprising, in combination, a frame, an elongated horizontal manifold carried on the upper portion of said frame having a single all-puropse duct therein and having projecting downwardly therefrom a row of outlet or discharge adapters constructed for detachable fluid and air-tight coupling connection with the ends of said tubular articles, an elongated receptacle supported horizontally on said frame below the row of adapters, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections each of which includes an inlet valve, air-tight containers for cleaning and rinsing fluids each having a fluid discharge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and connected with related ones of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, said manifold also having an air inlet pipe extending from one of its inlet connections, a source of compressed air, and a plurality of manually operable valves all connected on one side with said source and each connected on the other side with a related one of said air inlet pipes, said frame being constructed to provide a horizontal top portion in which said manifold is mounted, and laterally spaced vertical supporting legs extending downwardly from opposite ends of said top portion, the legs providing forwardly projecting ledge portions thereon on which the ends of the elongated receptacle are adapted to rest for support, there being heads for supporting the air tight containers carried on the horizontal top portion of said frame with which the fluid discharge pipes and related air inlet pipes are connected, said containers being detachably connectible with said heads from below the same and disposed behind said receptacle, and a shield plate movably disposed behind said receptacle in front of said containers, whereby said plate protects said containers from splash in the operation of the apparatus, and said plate protects the operator from harm in the event one of said containers, when of glass or other fracturable material, should burst under internal pressure.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said valves are arranged in a row in the order of the cleaning operations and are of a type each having a spring returned plunger operable by the thumb of the operator, said row of valves being carried on the one leg in vertically spaced l v 8 relation with the plungers all accessible on one side, the other side of theleg serving as a rest for the fingers of the operators hand while the thumb depresses any one of said plungers.

9. An apparatus for cleaning tubular articles such as hypodermic syringe needles and the like comprising, in combination, a manifold having a single all-purpose duct therein and having a plurality of outlet or discharge adapters extending therefrom constructed for detachable fluid and air tight coupling connection with the ends of said tubular articles, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections, air tight containers for cleaning and rinsing fluids each having a fluid discharge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and connected with related ones of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, said manifold also having an air inlet pipe extending from one of its inlet connections, a source of compressed air, a series of manually operable valves all connected on the one side with said source and each connected on the other side with a related one of said air inlet pipes, whereby compressed air or a selected fluid under pressure may be discharged through the articles attached to the manifold, and valve means in the inlet connections of the manifold for preventing back flow in any of the other of said inlet connections when a selected one of said inlet connections is being utilized for inflow to said manifold.

10. An apparatus for cleaning tubular articles such as hypodermic syringe needles and the like comprising, in combination, a manifold having a single all-purpose duct therein and having a plurality of outlet or discharge adapters extending therefrom constructed for detachable fluid and air tight coupling connection with the ends of said tubular articles, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections, each of which includes an outwardly seating check valve, air tight containers for cleaning and rinsing fluids each having a fluid discharge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and connected with related ones of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet pipe connectedtherewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, a source of compressed air, and a series of manually operable valves all connected on the one side with said source and each connected on the other side with a related one of said air inlet pipes, whereby a selected fluid under pressure may be discharged through the articles attached to the manifold, said check valves preventing back flow in any of the other of said inlet connections when fluid is supplied to said manifold through a selected one of said inlet connections past the check valve therein.

11. An apparatus for cleaning tubular articles such as hypodermic syringe needles and the like comprising, in combination, a manifold having a single all-purpose duct therein and having a plurality of outlet or discharge adapters extending therefrom constructed for detachable fluid and air tight coupling connection with the ends of said tubular articles, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections, air tight containers for cleaning and rinsing fluids each having a fluid discharge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and connected with related ones of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet pipe connected there with for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, a source of compressed air, a series of manually operable valves all connected on the one side with said source and each connected on the other side with a related one of said air inlet pipes, whereby a selected fluid under pressure may be discharged through the articles attached to the manifold, and valve means in, the inlet connections of the manifold for preventing back flow in any o t e Other of said inlet connections when a selected one of said inlet connections is being utilized for inflow to said manifold.

12. An apparatus for cleaning hypodermic syringe needles of the kind having an enlarged headed end universally detachably connectible with a liquid tight and air tight fit in a socket on the end of the barrel of a hypodermic syringe, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a manifold having a single all-purpose duct therein and having a plurality of socket adapters thereon each like the aforesaid socket on a hypodermic syringe, whereby different styles and dimensions of hypodermic needles are detachably connectible therein with a fluid and air tight connection for cleaning by passage of fluid and air therethrough, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections, air tight containers for cleaning and rinsing fluids each having a fluid discharge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and connected with related ones of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, said manifold also having an air inlet pipe extending from one of its inlet connections, a source of compressed air, a series of manually operable valves all connected on the one side with said source and each connected on the other side with a related one of said air inlet pipes, whereby compressed air or a selected fluid under pressure may be discharged through the needles attached to the manifold, and valve means in the inlet connections of the manifold for preventing back flow in any of the other of said inlet connections when a selected one of said inlet connections is being utilized for inflow to said manifold.

13. An apparatus for cleaning hypodermic syringe needles of the kind having an enlarged headed end universally detachably connectible with a liquid tight and air tight fit in a socket on the end of the barrel of a hypodermic syringe, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a manifold having a single all-purpose duct therein and having a plurality of socket adapters thereon each like the aforesaid socket on a hypodermic syringe, whereby different styles and dimensions of hypodermic needles are detachably connectible therein with a fluid and air tight connection for cleaning by passage of fluid and air therethrough, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections, each of which includes an outwardly seating check valve, air tight containers for cleaning and rinsing fluids each having a fluid discharge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and connected with related ones of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, a source of compressed air and a series of manually operable valves all connected on the one side with said source and each connected on the other side with a related one of said air inlet pipes, whereby a selected fluid under pressure may be discharged through the needles attached to the manifold, said check valves preventing back flow in any of the other of said inlet connections when fluid is supplied to said manifold through a selected one of said inlet connections past the check valve therein 14. An apparatus for cleaning hypodermic syringe needles of the kind having an enlarged headed end universally detachably connectible with a liquid tight and air tight fit in a socket on the end of the barrel of a hypodermic syringe, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a manifold having a single all-purpose duct therein and having a plurality of socket adapters thereon each like the aforesaid socket on a hypodermic syringe, whereby different styles and dimensions of hypodermic needles are detachably connectible therein with a fluid and air tight connection for cleaning by passage of fluid and air therethrough, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections, air tight containers for cleaning and rinsing fluids each having a fluid discharge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and connected with related ones of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, a source of compressed air, a series of manually operable valves all connected on the one side with said source and each connected on the other side with a related one of said air inlet pipes, whereby a selected fluid under pressure may be discharged through the needles attached to the manifold, and valve means in the'inlet connections of the manifold for preventing back flow in any of the other of said inlet connections when a selected one of said inlet connections is being utilized for inflow to said manifold.

15. An apparatus for cleaning tubular articles such-as hypodermic syringe needles and the like comprising, in combination, a frame, an elongated horizontal manifold carried on the upper portion of said frame having a single all-purpose duct therein and having projected downwardly therefrom a row of outlet or discharge adapters constructed for detachable fluid and air tight coupling connection with the ends of said tubular articles, an elongated receptacle supported horizontally on said frame below the row of adapters, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections, air tight containers for cleaning and rinsing fluids each having a fluid discharge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and connected with related ones of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, said manifold also having an air inlet pipe extending from one of its inlet connections, a source of compressed air, a plurality of manually operable valves all connected on one side with said source and each connected on the other side with a related one of said air inlet pipes, whereby compressed air and then one or more cleaning fluids and a rinsing fluid under pressure and then compressed air may be discharged through the articles attached to the manifold, and valve means in the inlet connections of the manifold for preventing back flow in any of the other of said inlet connections when a selected one of said inlet connections is being utilized for inflow to said manifold.

16. An apparatus for cleaning tubular articles such as hypodermic syringe needles and the like comprising, in combination, a frame, an elongated horizontal manifold carried on the upper portion of said frame having a single all-purpose duct therein and having projecting downwardly therefrom a row of outlet or discharge adapters constructed for detachable fluid and air tight coupling connection with the ends of said tubular articles, an elongated receptacle supported horizontally' on said frame below the row of adapters, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections, each of which includes an outwardly seating check valve, air tight containers for cleaning .and rinsing fluids each having a fluid discharge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and connected with related ones of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, a source of compressed air, and a plurality of manually operable valves all connected on one side with said source and each connected on the other side With a related one of said air inlet pipes, whereby one or more cleaning fluids and a rinsing fluid under pressure may be discharged through the articles attached to the manifold, said check valves preventing back flow in any of the other of said inlet connections when fluid is supplied to'said manifold through a selected one of said inlet connections past the check valve therein.

17. An apparatus for cleaning tubular articles such as hypodermic syringe needles and the like comprising, in combination, a frame, an elongated horizontal manifold carried on the upper portion of said frame having a single all-purpose duct therein and having projecting downwardly therefrom a row of outlet or discharge adapters constructed for detachable fluid and air tight coupling connection with the ends of said tubular articles, an elongated receptacle supported horizontally on said frame below the row of adapters, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections, air tight containers for cleaning and rinsing fluids each having a fluid discharge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and connected with related ones of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, a source of compressed air, a plurality of manually operable valves all connected on one side with said source and each connected on the other side with a related one of said air inlet pipes, whereby one or more cleaning fluids and a rinsing fluid under pressure may be discharged through the articles attached to the manifold, and valve means in the inlet connections of the manifold for preventing back flow in any of the other of said inlet connections when a selected one of said inlet connections is being utilized for inflow to said manifold.

18. An apparatus for cleaning hypodermic syringe needles of the kind having an enlarged headed end universally detachably connectible with a liquid tight and air tight fit in a socket on the end of the barrel of a hypodermic syringe, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a frame, an elongated horizontal manifold carried on the upper portion of said frame having projecting downwardly therefrom a row of socket adapters thereon each like the aforesaid socket on a hypodermic syringe, whereby different styles and dimensions of hypodermic needles are detachably connectible therein with a fluid and air tight connection for cleaning by passage of fluid and air therethrough, an elongated receptacle supported horizontally on said frame below the row of adapters, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections, air tight containers for cleaning and rinsing fluids each having a fluid discharge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and connected with related ones of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, said manifold also having an air inlet pipe extending from one of its inlet connections, a source of compressed air, a plurality of manually operable valves all connected on one side with said source and each connected on the other side with a related one of said air inlet pipes, whereby compressed air and then one or more cleaning fluids and a rinsing fluid under pressure and then compressed air may be discharged through the needles attached to the manifold, and valve means in the inlet connections of the manifold for preventing back flow in any of the other of said inlet connections when a selected one of said inlet connections is being utilized for inflow to said manifold.

19. An apparatus for cleaning hypodermic syringe needles of the kind having an enlarged headed end universally detachably connectible with a liquid tight and air tight fit in a socket on the end of the barrel of a hypodermic syringe, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a frame, an elongated horizontal manifold carried on the upper portion of said frame having projecting downwardly therefrom a row of socket adapters thereon each like the aforesaid socket on a hypodermic syringe, whereby different styles and dimensions of hypodermic needles are detachably connectible therein with a fluid and air tight connection for cleaning by passage of fluid therethrough, an elongated receptacle supported horizontally on said frame below the row of adapters, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections, each of which includes an outwardly seating check valve, air tight containers for cleaning and rinsing fluids each having a fiuiddischarge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and connected with related ones of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, a source of compressed air, and a plurality of manually operable valves all connected on one side with said source and each connected on the other side with a related one of said air inlet pipes, whereby one or more cleaning fluids and a rinsing fluid under pressure may be discharged through the needles attached to the manifold, said check valves preventing back flow in any of the other of said inlet connections when fluid or air is supplied to said manifold through a selected one of said inlet connections past the check valve therein.

20. An apparatus for cleaning hypodermic syringe needles of the kind having an enlarged headed end universally detachably connectible with a liquid tight and air tight fit in a socket on the end of the barrel of a hypodermic syringe, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a frame, an elongated horizontal manifold carried on the upper portion of said frame having projecting downwardly therefrom a row of socket adapters thereon each like the aforesaid socket on a hypodermic syringe, whereby different styles and dimensions of hypodermic needles are detachably connectible therein with a fluid and air tight connection for cleaning by passage of fluid therethrough, an elongated receptacle supported horizontally on said frame below the row of adapters, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections, air tight containers for cleaning and rinsing fluids each having a fluid discharge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and connected with related ones of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, a source of compressed air, a plurality of manually operable valves all connected on one side with said source and each connected on the other side with a related one of said air inlet pipes, whereby one or more cleaning fluids and a rinsing fluid under pressure may be discharged through the needles attached to the manifold, and valve means in the inlet connections of the manifold for preventing back flow in any of the other of said inlet connections when a selected one of said inlet connections is being utilized for inflow to said manifold.

21. A device of the character described, comprising in combination, a manifold having a single all-purpose duct therein and having at least one discharge opening provided therein, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections each of which includes an outwardly seating check valve, air tight containers for different fluids, each container having a fluid discharge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and c011- nected with a related one of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, a source of compressed air, and a series of manually operable valves all connected on the one side with said source and each connected on the other side with a related one of said air inlet pipes, whereby a selected fluid under pressure may be discharged from any one of said containers through said manifold and from its discharge opening, said check valves preventing back flow in any of the other of said inlet connections when fluid is being discharged through said manifold through a selected one of said inlet connections past the check valve therein.

22. A device of the character described, comprising in combination, a frame, an elongated horizontal manifold carried on the upper portion of said frame having a single all-purpose duct therein and having at least one discharge opening provided therein directed downwardly therefrom, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections each of which includes an outwardly seating check valve, air tight containers for different fluids, each container having a fluid discharge pipe communicating 13 with the bottom portion thereof and connected with a related one of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, a source of compressed air, and a plurality of manually operable valves all connected on one side with said source and each connected on the other side with a related one of said inlet pipes, whereby any one of said fluids may be discharged selectively through said manifold and its discharge opening, said check valves preventing back flow in any of the other of said inlet connections when fluid is discharged through said manifold through a selected one of said inlet connections past the check valves therein.

23. A device as set forth in claim 22, wherein said valves are of a type each having a spring returned plunger operable by the thumb of the operator, and wherein said frame has an elongated portion carrying said valves with the plungers all accessible on one side of said frame portion so that the other side of said frame portion serves as a support for the fingers of the operators hand while the thumb is depressing any one of said plungers.

24. An apparatus for cleaning tubular articles such as hypodermic syringe needles and the like, comprising in combination, a manifold having a single all-purpose duct therein and having a plurality of outlet or discharge adapters extending therefrom constructed for detachable fluid and air tight coupling connection with the ends of said tubular articles, said manifold also having at least two inlet connections each of which includes an outwardly seating check valve, an air tight container for fluid that is to be discharged through the needles, said container having a fluid discharge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and connected With a related one of said inlet connections, said container also having an air inlet pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, said manifold also having an air inlet pipe extending from the other of said inlet connections, a source of compressed air, and at least two manually operable valves both connected on the one side with said source and each connected on the other side with a related one of said air inlet pipes, whereby compressed air or fluid under pressure may be discharged through the articles attached to the manifold, each of said check valves preventing back flow in the other of said inlet connections when fluid or air is supplied to said manifold through one of said inlet connections past the check valve therein.

25. A device of the character described, comprising in combination, a manifold having a single all-purpose duct therein and having at least one discharge opening provided therein, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections, air tight containers for different fluids, each container having a fluid discharge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and connected with a related one of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, a source of compressed air, a series of manually operable valves all connected on the one side with said source and each connected on the other side with a related one of said air inlet pipes, whereby a selected fluid under pressure may be discharged from any one of said containers through said manifold and from its discharge opening, and valve means in the inlet connections of the manifold for preventing back flow in any of the other of said inlet connections when fluid is being discharged through said manifold through a selected one of said inlet connections.

26. A device of the character described, comprising in combination, a frame, an elongated horizontal manifold carried on the upper portion of said frame having a single all-purpose duct therein and having at least one discharge opening provided therein directed downwardly therefrom, said manifold also having a plurality of inlet connections, air tight containers for different fluids, each container having a fluid discharge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and connected with a related one of said inlet connections, said containers each having an air inlet pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, a source of compressed air, a plurality of manually operable valves all connected on one side with said source and each connected on the other side wtih a related one of said inlet pipes, whereby any one of said fluids may be discharged selectively through said manifold and its discharge opening, and valve means in the inlet connections of the manifold for preventing back flow in any of the other of said inlet connections when fluid is discharged through said manifold through a selected one of said inlet connections.

27. A device as set forth in claim 26, wherein said valves are of a type each having a spring returned plunger operable by the thumb of the operator, and wherein said frame has an elongated portion carrying said valves with the plungers all accessible on one side of said frame portion so that the other side of said frame portion serves as a support for the fingers of the operators hand while the thumb is depressing any one of said plungers.

28. An apparatus for cleaning tubular articles such as hypodermic syringe needles and the like, comprising in combination, a manifold having a single all-purpose duct therein and having a plurality of outlet or discharge adapters extending therefrom constructed for detachable fluid and air tight coupling connection with the ends of said tubular articles, said manifold also having at least two inlet connections, an air tight container for fluid that is to be discharged through the needles, said container having a fluid discharge pipe communicating with the bottom portion thereof and connected with a related one of said inlet connections, said container also having an air inlet pipe connected therewith for admission of compressed air to the upper portion thereof, said manifold also having an air inlet pipe extending from the other of said inlet connections, a source of compressed air, at least two manually operable valves both connected on the one side With said source and each connected on the other side with a related one of said air inlet pipes, whereby compressed air or fluid under pressure may be discharged through the articles attached to the manifold, and valve means in the inlet connections of the manifold for preventing back flow in the other of said inlet connections when fluid or air is supplied to said manifold through one of said inlet connections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 2,872,931 February 10, 1959 William LampS at aln It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

601mm '7, line 19, after side" insert we of line 35, for W all -puropse" read all purposa 3- column 1.9, line 19, Tor projected read me. projecting column 11, lines 29 and 122, 20,

after "frame" I each occurrence, insert we having single ali=purpose therein and vSigned and. sealed this 22nd day of September 1959.,

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL H, .A'XLINE Attesting Oflicer ROBERT c. WATSON Commissioner of Patents 

